I follow the storm of kids down the hall. As we go, I try to count the number of other hallways. One, two, three, four... The hallway then turns and I can't quite see all of the doors. Everyone stands anxiously in front of the large metal doors that I entered through only a day ago. I see the girl with the badge fuddle with it as the sirens continue to wail.
"Be ready!" She shouts to the crowd "I don't know how many guards are on the other side of this door, but if this place taught us anything good, it's how to fight. Use it." She turns around and places the badge to the scanner on the side. The door clicks, releasing the lock and I swear I hear everyone's heart skip a beat as they hold up their keystones, ready to escape. "Here's to freedom!" The girl shouts as she opens the door.
Everyone storms out shouting a victorious battle cry, they know they've already won. Through the frame of the door I see many different colored ribbons of emotion. Some of them triumphant purples, others angry reds, and some powerful golds. I smile as I reach the door, which the girl is still standing behind, holding open. As the last boy leaves the hallway, she comes out from behind the metal barrier and stands before me.
"Here." She says, placing the badge in my palm while still grabbing my hand with hers. "Thank you so much. How can we ever repay you?"
"You already have." I tell her truthfully.
She wraps me in a tight hug which I return happily. "Now go help the others, they're going to need help finding their feet and I think you're a pretty good candidate, er..."
"Sierra." She says with prideful yet hopeful eyes.
"Sierra." I repeat, locking the name and face in my brain.
She then exits through the door and joins that fight, leaving the badge in my hand.
Let's do this.
I quickly prop the exit door open with a small trash can from the warehouse part of the two sides before I run down my hallway to the door farthest from the exit. This one is labelled "trainee". I use the badge twice to open the door and the cells, then let everyone run out, looking at everyone who leaves to see if they're any of Aunt Candy's kids. Before moving on to the next door. I continue this, opening five more trainee hallways and two soldier ones before turning the corner.
This hallway has an effect to it that makes it seem more eerie. Maybe that's just the flickering lights. I jog down to the first door to find another soldier door with the second one being the same. I let those kids go, again, searching the ranks for Luke, Birdie, my brother, or Cedar. My eyes land on a head full of blonde hair with broken glasses resting on their nose. "Luke!" I shout. His attention immediately turns to me, excitement, then confusion taking over his face. He pushes through the crowd, dragging Peter along with him as they make their way to my side, quickly wrapping me in a hug. "What on earth are you doing here?!" Luke says over the rumble of feet and wailing sirens. "Freeing you all, obviously." I add a light smile to the last part.
"So I guess this means you're not on their side." He says, a little joke in his tone as well.
"How could I be?! They're monsters!" I recount today's activities, remembering especially vividly the fight between Charlie and Brooke. Wait! Where are they!? None of these halls look like the special rooms they were taken to.
"Go and wait outside for the rest of us--or try to get back to Aunt Candy. I bet she's just about had a heart attack by now. "
Luke quickly nods his head and joins the last of the crowd leaving the hallway.
"You did it! Be proud Etta!" Peter says, hugging me once again before following after Luke.
I open more doors on the way down the hallway: Soldier, Soldier, Captain, Captain, Captain, Captain, End of the hallway. I turn another corner, but this time there are only four doors, the two closest to me look more heavy duty than the ones after that.
I stand in front of one of the heavier duty doors. Each of these has windows, but only one shows anybody in it. I stand on my tippi-toes to see a boy with dark hair and grimy clothes sitting on a metal chair hunched over next to a table of torture tools. My heart hurts for Charlie. This is why he didn't want to give in, he knew this would happen. For him. And for Brooke.
I hold out the keycard to the side of the door without looking, having memorised it's spot. But nothing happens. I look down at where I've placed the badge and instead of seeing a scanner, I find my hand touching a keypad. Poop! I knock my head on the door in frustration. No!
I look down at me feet. I've gotten this far, but it feels as if I've just lost the entire battle. I can't leave anybody here. I can't leave anybody ever again. I bow my head, leaning it against the door, the tears forming in my eyes. Bang, Bang, Bang! I look down the hallway. What on earth was that? Nobody's shooting, nobody's even standing there. I knit my eyebrows in confusion. Bang, Bang, Bang! I quickly stand up, realizing that the door is shaking a bit from whatever is making that noise.
"Charlie?!" I exclaim, seeing his face in the window. He looks determined, though is eyes show of fear and unease.
He holds his pointer finger to his right eye. Watch me. I nod, letting him know I understand. He points down to the keypad and then begins to display a series of numbers on his fingers.
0
4
2
8
0
9
I try to remember the order, but my frantic thoughts are too jumbled to let them stick.
Repeat! I mouthe to him through the glass.
He looks at me confused.
Repeat! I say, using my vocal chords a bit this time to make the word (hopefully) more understandable.
He finally nods and repeats the numbers.
0
4
"Oh, Four." I say aloud.
2
8
"Two, Eight."
0
9
"Oh, Nine!"
I nod my head quickly to tell him I got it, then dash over to the keypad before I forget.
I quickly type in the numbers.
Nothing happens.
I wait.
He waits.
Holding our breath...
A Green light suddenly flicks on, accompanied by a subtle click from the door.
"Yes!" I shout, joining in the sound of the fight going on in the warehouse down the hall.
Charlie pushes the door open and steps into the hallway. "Thank you, Darling." He says, though he doesn't make eye contact. Instead he just starts to jog down the hall the way he came. "Wait!" I shout before he can make it too far. "How did you know the code?"
"What do you mean?"
"The code to open the door. I don't believe you can see the keypad from the window, so how did you know it?"
Charlie jogs back to stand in front of me.
"Remember when you asked me how long I'd been here?"
"Yeah..."
"Since April 28th, 2009."
Sparks suddenly ignite into a flame of realization.
"042809. It's not just a code, it's a date."
"Precisely. The woman who runs this place, I was unlucky enough to call her mum. As soon as she found out I was like this," He gestures to himself "She created this place to lock me, and others like me, up. Keep us away from the world."
"That's awful!" I say, exasperated.
"I never said she was any good at being a mum."
"I'm sorry Charlie."
"For what?" He begins to walk away from me to the direction I came from.
"For not being able to come and save you-- all of you-- before!"
"Apology accepted. See you later, Darling!"
"Where are you going?"
"Somebody's got to save my Princess, I'd rather it be me." He says with a smirk, then turns the corner, out of view.
As soon as he's gone, I go to the other two doors down this hallway. Last two. I turn to the one on my left first. This one is another Captain hallway, labeled by the card to the side of the door. Just below it is the keycard scanner. I expertly place the badge up to it and wait for the green light to appear.
Blink!
I open the door and tuck myself inside enough to be able to reach the internal scanner that opens the cell doors. They all slide open with a loud beep and a few screeches where rusty equipment hides. Kid upon kid spills out of the room as fast as their feet will take them.
"Etta!"
I scan the crowd, my eyes landing on dark hair and fierce black eyes.
"Birdie!"
I wrap her in a hug I don't believe she was expecting.
"Have you found everyone yet?" She asks, as if waiting for a status report, which, in all honesty, I guess it is.
"Almost!" I inform her excitedly.
"Who do you have left to find?"
"Just Cedar,
But there's only one door left.
I'm sure he's in there."